Intriguing
by Capt.Planet
Summary: After Sakura's life is plunged into chaos once more, a most interesting proposition is made by the most unexpected of people.


When Sasuke first returned home, it was both blissful and full of anxiety. Sakura and Naruto both took a turn at him and attempted to beat him senseless before they viciously defended him to the council and any who dared speak against their precious teammate. (Sakura had even thrown a loose-lipped chuunin through several walls and a bathhouse when she heard him bad-mouth the Uchiha to his little friends outside of the Hokage building… Naruto helped, of course…) All violence aside, though, it was a joyous day full of (mostly) happy tears.

When Naruto was named (officially) as Tsunade's successor, they all went out and partied. Sakura even kissed Naruto in her excitement. Hinata saw this and did not get upset; she simply pulled Naruto aside on the way home to congratulate him as well.

Sasuke _finally _asked Sakura out after six months of being home, and at first, she was not sure of what to do, because her emotions were still so messed up and confusing, but she said yes. She knew she loved him, and she would do anything for those special to her. She did not miss the fact that Naruto still sent her long smoldering glances full of love and want and pain, but what could she do? Sasuke needed her and she could not bring herself to hurt one any more than the other, so she acted as if she did not know and hoped Naruto would find someone better.

Hinata's boldness had grown as they did, so it was really no shock when she initiated a relationship with Naruto. The surprising part of that was not that she asked, but that he accepted, because everyone at the time believed he still loved Sakura (even Naruto).

Their charades of happiness went on for approximately three months before all hell broke loose and all of their lives were thrown off track _again_.

Sakura was walking home one night when she heard the sound of a muffled curse and a body hitting the wall in an alley. Thinking that someone was in trouble, she rushed to help, but the sight she found was a bit more disturbing than what she had expected. Naruto had Sasuke pushed against the bricks kissing down his neck as Sasuke pulled Naruto's blond hair back with one hand and held tightly to his shoulder with the other.

Surprisingly enough, her first thought was not of betrayal. Instead, she rather wondered what it would be like to be between them. Immediately after that thought, though, she realized that _her boyfriend_ was making out with a _man_. A man who she knew to be very much in love with… someone who was not who he had pinned against that wall.

Not wanting to get caught in the act of catching _them_, she immediately backpedaled out of the alley and into the nearest bar where she proceeded to get absolutely wasted (thus beginning a drunken escapade which later became quite notorious).

Thankfully, she did not remember that night when she woke up a week later after her alcohol-induced haze had finally lifted. It only startled her a bit that all of the sake from her personal stash was gone. Strangely enough, it seemed as if she had passed out the night before in her closet, of all places. It only got weirder when she realized she was wearing a bikini and sitting on a blown up inner tube. Shortly after that little discovery, she decided that she needed to give up alcohol. And shortly after _that _decision, she wisely chose to swear off alcohol _after_ her pride healed from the insane nightmare in which she was trapped.

Once she took a shower and changed into actual pajamas, she ate breakfast and went back to sleep to get rid of her headache (no doubt from the consumption of copious amounts of that damn sake).

Since none of his belongings remained in her apartment (and since she vaguely remembered burning some of them) she assumed that she and Sasuke were over. She supposed this was best for the time being. They might need some time apart after whatever she may or may not have shouted at him as he dodged her homemade projectiles. It would also probably be prudent if she waited a while to ask for that threesome, too.

During her pitiful lunch (pitiful because she had not a thing to eat other than instant ramen which now had an annoyingly ironic taste to it), she heard a knock at her door. Not caring that she looked as if she had been dragged behind a bus over a mountainside, she ambled to the door miserably and opened it cautiously hoping that it was overcast outside so she would not be blinded.

She was not sure if she would be happy to see _anyone_, but since it was Hinata at the door, she let her in. After all, both of them had recently gotten their pride shot in the face and stomped on. Sakura was about to offer her tea (tea that she _hoped _she had not inadvertently burned or hurled after a rapidly retreating Sasuke) when Hinata pulled out the most beautiful bouquet of flowers Sakura had ever seen. In confusion, Sakura just stared at it for a moment, but when Hinata motioned for her to take it with a tiny shake, she held out her hand.

Sakura had expected Hinata to be upset about Naruto and Sasuke coming out together, but she did not seem to be phased in the least. In fact, she looked quite stunning wearing a smile on her lips that crinkled the corners of her pale violet eyes with her soft hair pulled into a low, loose ponytail.

Still not quite understanding, Sakura pulled a vase from under her sink and filled it with water while occasionally glancing toward Hinata only to see that small grin still present. She placed the flowers in the water and arranged them a bit but eventually decided to turn around when she started to feel uncomfortable with the silence. Hinata, however, seemed fine, standing there looking as content as one who just lost their boyfriend can be.

"Aren't you…? Does it not bother you?" Sakura questioned her quietly, jerking from the little reverie suddenly.

"Not as long as he's happy, really. Besides, I believe there are others for me. At least one that I can think of right now," she answered the queries softly and even winked as she finished the statement.

Stunned a little (and possibly still hung over), Sakura slowly worked over Hinata's words and gaped at her. Hinata had most certainly grown more forward over the years, but _this_ was very unexpected.

"You… you like girls?" she asked in disbelief. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Hinata shrugged and answered simply, "Not really girls in general. More just you."

Sakura considered that statement for a moment and was torn between feeling flattered and embarrased. Then again, her boyfriend (or _ex_-boyfriend, apparently) had just figured out he was gay and/or bisexual, so what was keeping her from exploring her bicuriosity?

Hinata obviously had taken her silence as indecision and unknowingly spoke Sakura's thoughts with another shrug, "What the hell."

The way she said it as a statement pulled Sakura from the inner debate on expanding her sexuality.

"Why not?" she finally agreed with a grin while pulling Hinata after her into the bedroom and laughing.

While it was unquestionably one of the most bizarre events in Sakura's life, she hoped it might turn out to be one of the best as well.


End file.
